Hi Jim,
I'm not based in the USA but from Middle England across the pond. I have used MIDI since the early nineties to create music and recently to interface things that I needed to play with and control such as a minidisk player as a sampler, a pneumatic bottle organ, a led display linearly visualizing the scale being played to name a few. I am well versed in electronic design, both analogue and digital and can code at a pinch. Please get in contact with me if you think I can help.